Study Shows Actors Struggle to Resolve Emotional Problems

A new study shows that actors are more likely to struggle with dealing with past traumas, and that they might find it harder to resolve emotional difficulties.

The study, conducted by researchers at California State University, revealed that “there is a psychological cost for participants engaged in the creative arts.” The researchers also noted that “more actors were unable to maintain narrative coherence when discussing memories of past trauma and loss.”

In an article by The Guardian, researchers Paula Thomson and S. Victoria Jaque said that actors are more likely to “display signs of confusion, prolonged silence or unsuccessful failures to deny a traumatic or loss event.” They believe this indicates a greater vulnerability for psychological distress.

The good news? Actors have “higher than usual imaginative facilities than members of the control group.” Thomson and Jaque said, “Actors may have enhanced their imagination through the practice of acting or they may have entered a career that supports their heightened predisposition for fantasy.”